Manasara - The profile cutting store | Studio Ardete

MANASARA - Metal Profile Cutting Store (WAF Finalist Project From India)

Location : Panchkula (Haryana), India

Program : Retail shop

Categeory : Interior Design

Area : 90 sq.m

Completion: 15 DEC 2014

Architects : studio ardete

Photo Credits : Mr Love sharma

The Concept:
Since ancient times, India has been a home to the art of metal sculpturing and craftsmanship and has produced various methods to carry on the craft which are still prevalent all over the world. It has produced some of the greatest metal artisans of all time. But in the last few decades, due to rapid modernization, metal artistry in architecture has been on the decline, largely due to the time involved in the work. As a result the artisans have been losing work, forcing them to quit their ancestral profession in search of alternate ways of earning. This poses a serious threat to permanent loss of an art seeped in history.

The focus of the project is to bring back Metal Art.

The aim of the shop is to display various applications of water Jet CNC cutting in architecture. The concept behind the project is to salvage art from the past and redefine it for the modern world. Revival and reinterpretation of the art would increase the demand of it, which in turn would generate work both for artisans and the machines. 

The Motif:
Symbols and motifs have, throughout history, been used as means of incorporating cultural expression in art and architecture. They have often been used as alphabets in the graphical language, a few of them being easily recognizable and commonly used. Their use, style, scale may vary but they can still be identified. One such element has been used as the base element for this design.

It is employed in various ways and in different places, usually as decorations, such as outdoor garden lamps, main door, flooring, ceiling works, wall panels etcetera. The decision to use the single motif as the main element throughout the store, creates a strong sense of unity and coherence in the entire design.

Planning:
The space program dictated a separate area to be designated for an outdoor garden, interior furnishings and artifacts, space for discussion, display panels for variable display, workspace for the designer, a washroom and a pantry. A design approach was adopted wherein it was decided to develop experience centers for customers so that they could appreciate the synthesis of solids and voids integrated and forming the art display in itself.

The store has four zones: an outdoor garden, an ethnic Indian zone, workspace and the interior zone. The transition between outdoor and indoor space is achieved using various ethnic and modern interpretations of the motif used in the interiors.

The Door:

Since the store is located in one of the bay shops, the main door opens onto the common corridor, which necessitated it being visually appealing to draw customers inside.
The entrance door, therefore, was made as an amalgamation of technology and tradition. Making use of ancient Indian metals of copper and brass, it was given a classical soul with a modern outfit of metal cutting.